Southern Section Volleyball : Dana Hills Beats Edison for Title : Dolphins Stage 13-Point Rally in 5th Game for 4-A Victory

Saturday was Prom Night for Edison High School, but Dana Hills was dancing when the last ball fell to the floor in the Southern Section 4-A volleyball championship.

The Dolphins rallied from a 4-1 deficit in the deciding fifth game to score the next 13 points and claim their first-ever volleyball title with a 14-16, 15-10, 15-6, 6-15, 15-4 win over the Chargers in front of an estimated 2,000 spectators at Marina High School.

Senior hitters Chris Knowles and Tim Glasgow teamed to lead Dana Hills, which had lost to Corona del Mar in last year’s 4-A final.

“The seniors wanted it,” Dana Hills Coach Oz Simmons said. “There were five guys out there who won’t be back next year.”

It was the first time top-seeded Edison had been forced to play five games in a match this season. The Chargers lost to Dana Hills in the 4-A semifinals last season.

The rematch prompted many of those Edison supporters who weren’t attired in formal wear to don T-shirts bearing the words: “The War to Even the Score.” For the record, “the score” is now 3-0. Dana Hills (15-1) also beat Edison in the championship of the Orange County Tournament earlier this season.

Knowles was the player who gave Edison the most trouble in round three. “He’s a good, smart player,” Simmons said. “This is where the people who really work hard shine . . . in a match like this. There’s no gimmick or luck to it.”

Edison struggled to find some offensive continuity against some aggressive Dana Hills defense.

“They just dug too many balls at the end of the match,” Edison Coach Dan Glenn said. “I think we got a little tired.”

Edison senior middle blocker Danny Hanan, who had 25 kills in a semifinal win over Laguna Beach Tuesday night, wasn’t much of a factor against the Dolphins.

“They got really frustrated when we blocked well,” Simmons said. “When we block well, it enables us to play back row defense.”

The Chargers (18-2) rallied from an 11-3 deficit to win the first game. John McCormick had a stuff block for the Chargers to cut Dana Hills’ lead to 10-11, then drilled an errant Dolphin pass to the floor to make it 11-11. Steve Titus and Rich Smith closed out the game with some solid outside hitting.

Knowles and Glasgow brought Dana Hills back in the second game. After an early exchange of leads, the Dolphins went ahead, 10-8, then scored four unanswered points to break it open.

Edison fell behind, 11-2, in the third game and, this time, couldn’t come back. The Chargers made a run to cut the gap to 12-6 before Knowles and Glasgow re-established themselves at the net.

The Chargers took a 10-1 lead in the fourth game and held off a mild Dana Hills threat to extend the match to five games.

Loyola beat Brentwood, 15-1, 15-12, 15-7, to win the 3-A final. It was Loyola’s third 3-A title in the last four years.

Brentwood rebounded from a rout in the first game to test the Cubs in the second, tying it at 9-9 and 12-12.

The Cubs, the top-seeded team in the 3-A division, finished the season at 18-2. Brentwood, making its first appearence in the finals, finished 11-9.